Teacher's gun remark to students prompts police investigation

A Massachusetts teacher was placed on administrative leave after allegedly making “inappropriate” gun-related comments to students at Plymouth North High School on Friday.

Boston 25 News reports that students in the school’s cafeteria were told to stay in place due to a student’s medical emergency. That’s when a student jokingly commented on how he would use the opportunity to get the answers to an upcoming test. The teacher allegedly replied to the joke that the answers of the test were in his house by the nightstand where he keeps his gun.

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Alexis MacDonald, 18, overheard and immediately texted her mom, who alerted the police.

“The student said, ‘I’ll just find the answers to the test online somewhere,’ and he [the teacher] responded with, ‘No, because they are in my safe at my house near my gun,’” said MacDonald.

Police were then called to the school to investigate the incident, according to Superintendent Gary Maestas.

In a note to parents, Maestas said the “inappropriate remarks” were made about a gun the teacher owns. A statement on Plymouth Public Schools’ Facebook page read: “We want to make students and parents aware that our investigation, assisted by Police, has indicated that this situation involved a statement only, and not the possession of anything illegal.”

Police records show officers responded to the high school on Friday after reports of suspicious activity, but no arrests were listed.

Maestas said the teacher’s employment status is being reviewed as the district continues its investigation.

After last month’s Parkland, Fla., massacre, in which a former student is accused of opening fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with an AR-15, killing 17 people, students and faculty across the country have been quick to report any suspicious gun-related activity to prevent future incidents.

In Indiana earlier this month, a teacher was suspended for having a gun in his car while parked on school property, Indy Channel reports. Two students spotted the gun and alerted officials.

According to a CBS report, a New Jersey history high school teacher was suspended after he spoke out forcefully about the need for the high school to beef up security. He allegedly expressed support for arming teachers after the Parkland school shooting.

Student gun threats are also being taken more seriously. Last week, an elementary school student, 11, was suspended for two weeks after he allegedly threatened to shoot a teacher in Springfield, Ohio, according to the Dayton Daily News.